Spray with olive oil spray, or grease lightly with butter, a medium-sized round casserole dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the squashes of the top and bottom stems and slice each one into 1/4” slices. Place the cut up squash into a medium-sized saucepan and cover with water. Bring the pot with the squash to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down and simmer until the squash is tender when pricked with a fork, about 15 minutes. When the squash is done, remove it from the heat, cover it with a lid and drain all the water off. Take a potato masher or a large fork and mash the squash into pieces, cover and drain off the water again.

To the squash add the butter, salt and pepper and stir gently until the butter melts. Add the onion, peppers and cheese and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste if needed. Add the egg and combine well. Turn the squash mixture out into the casserole, spreading evenly. Top evenly with the breadcrumbs and dot with extra butter. Sprinkle paprika over the top.

Bake the squash casserole at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the mixture is bubbling the the breadcrumbs have browned. Remove from the oven and serve.

Nancy, I’ve made this a zillion times and have never beaten the egg first, but always stir it vigorously to make sure it is well incorporated. Having said that, whisking the egg lightly first would incorporate air, and might lighten the texture. For sure it won’t hurt and maybe I will try that next time and see what it does!